Whoo Loves Kindergarten???

We had a great week in kindergarten last week as we studied owls.   We've been BUSY, BUSY!   As a matter of fact... I've been so busy that I haven't had time to write a fresh post about it.   

But have no worries! This is where we all fall in love with...

FLASH from the PAST posts!

Below you will find two of my posts from last year on our owl adventures!  Hope you can find a few nuggets of inspiration in them!

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Throwback OWL Post #1 --

Whooo loves kindergarten?   

I do!  I do!  Teaching kindergarten gives me so many opportunities to be creative and  just a little bit crazy! As most of you know, "Dr. Science" comes into my classroom regularly to teach my kinder-kiddos about science.   ("Dr. Science" is one of my very best friends and co-teachers who dresses up like a mad scientist and helps me carry out my science lessons.  She is crazy!  She tucks in her upper lip, busts out her lab coat and kicks the learning level up a notch whenever she gallops into the room!)  This week our science studies focused on learning about OWLS.

Take a peek at some of our owl fun... and few other peeks from last week! 

Create your own free slideshow design

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Throwback OWL Post #2 --

I hope you had a chance to view my owl adventure slide show in my last post.   If you haven't....I really do think it would be worth your time to take a peek!   It's filled with some fun ideas for fall...and learning about owls.  :)   One thing I did NOT include in the slideshow was the final product of our owl art project.   (In the slideshow, you can sneak a peek at the kiddos in action as they work on the project....but it doesn't show the completed version.)  When I posted them in the hallway this week, I was shocked at the number of class-stopping interruptions I got!  I mean staff and parents literally walking into my room and interrupting instruction just to tell me how much they LOVED them!   AWWW!  It made me feel so good!   And the kinder-kiddos felt so special and talented.   :) 

So, I thought they may be worth posting for you!  Take a peek!

I was inspired to create this project by combining a couple different ideas I had found on Pinterest.  I took the different parts I liked from both...added a little of my own creativity... and Wa-La!

The first step in this project was giving each student a black sheet of construction paper.  I used the standard "large" size (12 x 18)... but then trimmed an inch of the sides because I knew I would want to "matte" them on a 12 X 18 fall color at the end.   I passed out brown paper and had the kids cut out a simple branch shape.  Next, I passed out a small piece of yellow paper upon which I had drawn a circle.  The kids cut out the circles for their "moons."  They glued those on and then were invited to Q-Tip paint on ten stars as many stars as they chose.  (LOL!  I really did tell them 10...but obviously many were so engrossed in painting that they forgot to count!) We set those aside to dry.

Next, I gave each kiddo a white piece of paper. Then I led them through basic directed-drawing instructions to draw an owl.  (I just made them up!  I started with an oval shape for the body, then circles for the eyes, etc.) They used PENCIL first....then when finished, traced their pencil marks with back Sharpies.  After that, I TAUGHT THEM how to correctly use watercolor paints as I painted an example.   Then the kiddos painted their own. We cut them out carefully, and added them on to the backgrounds by gluing. Then I "matted" them onto a fall colored paper to make them pop.

What I love the most is the way that each child's owl drawing totally gives each owl his own "personality!"    They are just adorable, aren't they?  The kiddos did a GREAT job! 

The second grade teacher next door told my class that she loved them so much she hoped we left them up all year and just added accessories...like a Santa hat, a leprechaun hat, Easter bunny ears, etc.   Hee! Hee!   (At least if I get too busy to change my hall bulletin board I've got options!  LOL)

Blessings to you!